Tuesday, July 9, 2013

The Widow’s Might…Makes Rites

LDS sole-corporation owner President Thomas Monson likes to help widows. The LDS church likes to advertise this. On his official LDS web page, they write:
“President Monson was called to serve as the bishop of the Sixth-Seventh Ward in Salt Lake City. Eighty-five widows lived in the ward, and as a young bishop he visited each one regularly, making sure their spiritual and temporal needs were met.”
He talks often, as prophet, about visiting widows, even recently. Widow Zella Thomas prayed that her former bishop would visit her, and he “told her that we had come because of direct inspiration from our Heavenly Father.” She passed away the day after his visit.

Tom likes helping the widows. Another pending-widow close to him comes to mind—Barbara Ballard, the wife of probably soon-to-be-deceased apostle Russell Ballard, grandson of another apostle Melvin Ballard. The Ballards have been in the church hierarchy for a long while.

Now at this point you're probably saying: “Russell Ballard is not dead, and to say such a thing is tactless and rude.” However, it seems the church is preparing for this inevitability, and helping the would-be-widow Ballard before it is too late. M. Russell, a businessman by trade until 1974 (when he was first called to full-time positions in church hierarchy) wasn’t all that successful. He took over his father’s auto-sales business in 1956, eventually running it into the ground after signing with Ford to be the first Edsel dealer in Utah. Later he tried his hand at entertainment, presiding over the Valley Music Hall in Bountiful, UT which also failed financially. Despite these monetary setbacks, with seven children in tow (some apparently still young), 46 year old Ballard was called to be a mission president, then as an area authority and eventually as an apostle six years later. He may not have had a chance to settle his business enterprises in that short time, but his star in the LDS church rose brightly.

And it’s paying off. You see, the LDS corporation recently "donated" a $600K condo to the widow-will-be Barbara. (Ok, exchanged for $10.)  Here’s the SLC assessor page (property 09-31-385-061-0000).




You may recall from a previous blog that apostle Dallin Oaks had his condo #5D (a few down from Ballard) also transferred to him a year after #7D went to Barb.  Here’s the county recorder document showing the special warranty deed transfer from Property Reserve Inc to Barbara Ballard.



For those that don’t understand this, when a special warranty deed is executed, ownership of the real property named in the deed is conveyed by the grantor (Property Reserve, Inc) to the grantee (Barbara Ballard), together with all rights and privileges belonging to that property and that the property is free from all encumbrances made by that grantor and that he or she will forever warrant and defend the grantee against any lawful claim. That is, the property is essentially gifted from the LDS corporation to Ballard.

This is Monson’s doing, I’m sure. He is so excited to take care of his widows, that he even treats his ailing friends’ wives as widows before they’re due. It’s really charitable of the LDS corporation to be thinking of the widows, present and future. I know a woman dear to me who has been alone for almost two-decades. I know a condo on State Street is just the thing to give her solace and comfort.

Jesus taught in what is called the story of the “widow’s mite” that small sacrifices of the poor mean more to God than the extravagant, yet proportionately lesser, donations of the rich. In the gospel accounts, Jesus condemns religious leaders who feign piety, accept honor from people, and steal from widows.

The LDS corporation could claim that they are ramping up their right teaching by not only not stealing a single mite from the widow, but giving a mighty condo, in what could be seen as a rite of passage for the widows of the church’s highest leaders. Never mind that the other 94,732.38 widows in the LDS church are donating tithing to pay for Ballard’s $600K condo. The LDS church takes care of its own. A very few, special of its own.


Now some may argue that Ballard purchased the condo from the LDS corp for a fair price.  This could be cleared up if only they released the financial documents and opened up the books to financial operations at the LDS church.  However, don't expect them to do so if they have anything to hide.


15 comments:

  1. You're lame as a man without legs. The Ballards got their money from the huntsman family.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm interested to know why the church would gift residences to anyone? If the Ballards have money form the Huntsmans (earned? gifted? donated?), why can't they buy their own condos?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. you can never have enough blessings from god. he has to be a beacon for those less righteous so they have something to strive for.

      Delete
    2. Have you ever had a house and a wanted a bigger one? Ever had money and wanted more? Well, if you're the wife of an apostle you get free things. The church has unbelievable amounts of money. The church spent .0006% of its yearly income on this condo. $10,000,000,000 yearly income/$600,000 condo

      Delete
  3. Another very well written exposé. And again, great title! (widow's might--rite). Keep 'em coming!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Elder Ballard travelled to Europe in a Huntsman jet and, one of the things he did on that trip, was give me and my wife our "Second Anointing".

    A $600k condo is such small compensation for conferring Godhood on people, don't you think?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am surprised that it is in HER name. I thought everything was held by the penishood holder!

      Delete
    2. @Tom Phillips... Uhm, I hate to burst your bubble dude... But the TRUE second anointing doesn't come from a lifelong of good works. Neither does it come by any sort of law (or that is to say, ordinance).

      Now the covenants God makes us by way of ordinances are law, but... Dude, you do realize the church COULD still excommunicate you and make that "second anointing" void, right? This would be impossible to happen if it was the true second anointing.

      God's promises are FOREVER! Therefore wherever there is a promise that can be taken away, is there also no promise to begin with. It was a promise that was void from the start, because it was not forever and can be taken away.

      How is it that one receives the second anointing then? I speak from experience in my youth, even the age of 14 years old, but you must only believe me through the power of the Holy Spirit. I pray you find the truth, and that the truth sets you free.

      It happens when you have so much faith in Jesus Christ, that you'll believe in his words even when all hope looks lost. It is then that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will speak to you as voices out from the heavens, making promises no man can annul. Some time after that, God's prepares a way for you to be ordained unto eternal life by the laying on of hands by angels. After this, you have living waters spring forth out of the innermost part of your being so that you know with all the saints what is the breadth, width, height, depth, and length of the love of God which surpasses human understanding. Meaning yes, I know of peace that transcends anything within this world. These circumstances can happen at any given place or time, and is frankly not confined to happening inside any temple. For me it was at a church camp, and God's presence was there. God does not live inside the temple. Heaven is his thrown room, and Earth is his footstool. Of course he can anoint someone unto eternal life at any given place or time regardless of age, nationality, religion, grades in school, success in employment, obedience to parents, respect given to authorities, experience, or and other thing works comes by.

      Now I do NOT tell you this to boast and be all like, "Hah! My Calling election is made sure and yours is not! And I did nothing to receive it! Boo yah!" That's not the point at all. My point is merely to plea with you to recognize the promise cannot come because of anything you had done. As, you should note, I could not possibly have done anything to receive it at the age of 14. I was a rebellious teenager who was not even a Mormon, a non-denominational christian, who did not even think about God on a daily basis. I did not read my scriptures, and my prayers were repetitious. I was saved only by grace through the gift of faith God had given to me. The works I do are only a result of that love growing inside me as a daughter of the most high God.

      Please, please, PLEASE-- I beg you to not think a man's own works can save a him. Covenants (or ordinances) are works, and they cannot save you. They can only help the rebellious learn obedience that is necessary to draw closer to God and find salvation by faith in Him. Not that we should not fulfill all ordinances to fulfill all righteousness, but that they cannot save us. Even those not of the covenant can have their calling and election made sure. Even teenagers can have their calling and election made sure. Why? Because it comes by faith and not works.

      "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

      God bless

      Kaitlyn

      Delete
    3. According to the Mormon Church, the second annointing makes godhood more or less certain. Teenagers have a longer road to travel,but your good thoughts are appreciated.

      Delete
  5. I used to work in the Recorder's office. MOST Warranty Deeds are for $10, no matter how much a person actually pays for the property. (Do you want the public to know how much you paid for your house?) I have no doubt there was a large "gift" going on, but the Warranty Deed is not the smoking gun that you paint it to be.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It has been said that "secrecy is the badge of fraud". Mr. Twede, like the majority of thinking humans, understands this, and so is trying to crack open the vault for us. At least he is doing something.

      If COJCOLDS made their finances transparent, then all of this would be cleared up. If nothing untoward is going on, they should have no problem in opening up their books for scrutiny.

      Delete
    2. When I check Zillow, I can see how much people paid for houses. Is that just my area?

      Delete
  6. You would have real wisdom if you knew that no one has the "authority" to command anyone.

    ReplyDelete
  7. It is easy to see just by how the Church does not take care of the widows & the fatherless as it should and how it admits that they pay it's leaders even a dime, when they should be serving in the Church for free, like everyone else and like King Benjamin and Alma said leaders should work for free and not be supported by the people.

    We don't need to try to seek secret documents to tell they are all false prophets upholding an apostate church, it is completely apparent to those who know good from evil, not only by how they treat the widows & fatherless & poor, and how they take their money and use it on themselves and their own selfish purposes, but also in how they openly support, teach and do the vilest of evils and have since Brigham Young started this apostate church. For after Joseph died, the true church was lost because they Saints would not listen to Christ's & Joseph's teachings and thus the Church broke up into many apostate groups, one being the LDS Church.

    I do not believe anyone inside the Church has received their 'calling & election' by any Church leader. For I do not believe Church leaders have any authority to give such blessings, I believe they are all false prophets teaching falsehoods and giving false baptisms & blessings, etc.

    I believe many people are being deceived by Satan and his minions today to think they have been blessed or visited by Christ, angels, prophets, etc. or have their 'calling & election'. Satan can appear to us as Christ and give false visions, dreams, revelation and perform mighty miracles. Few people ever 'prove' their visitations, or revelation by what they scriptures say, they just assume it came from God because it seemed so real and right. But God does not prove himself by miracles or even visions, but by 'love', pure Christlike love. That is how we tell true prophets and true Christ's from false ones, and we must gain & live worthty of & possess such love before we can discern if anyone else in heaven or earth has it.

    If we have not Charity we are nothing and it's impossible to gain a promise of eternal life.

    I believe that only those who have become truly 'Christlike' and possess true Charity, can gain the blessings of eternal life, in this life or the next. And 'few there be' that gain that blessing. For such persons who live such a high level of righteousness are very very rare, though everyone can achieve it if they really want to and live by Christ's teachings, but very few ever choose to do so and very few really even believe in Christ, let alone do what he says, thought they all go to Church, while they ignore and pass up the needy on their way, and yet feel so righteous.

    Christ taught that 'the righteous' are those who live modestly and help the poor, not those who go to Church or how perform great miracles or receive visitations.

    We must all become prophets and prophetesses, for it takes one to know one. And it takes true Charity, pure unconditional everlasting love, especially for one's spouse, to become a prophet or prophetess in this life and to then gain eternal life.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I like your philosophy. I believe when you follow Jesus Christ, you choose to have a simple Ana humble life. I mean, you don't get huge houses, cars, expensive boats and all that materialistic crap.

    Yeah, if you are called to be a prophet, your life should be a reflection of your beliefs. A prophet should be an example in word and in deed. But the mormon inspired leaders lives reflect the luxurious lives of the monarchy times of queens and kings in France...what would Jesus do?

    ReplyDelete